This invention relates generally to improvements in the lacing assembly for an article of footwear, and more particularly to an improved lacing assembly for an article of footwear in which lower and upper vamp sections can be selectively adjusted and maintained to fit different portions of the foot independently while utilizing a continuous single lace between said vamp sections.
Two prior patents of particular interest in this field and having the same inventor as this application are U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,796 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,998. In the former patent an athletic shoe is disclosed having separate lower and upper vamp sections. In this shoe, each vamp section includes a separate lace and, while it is intended that each vamp section can be adjusted to suit separate portions of the foot, there are disadvantages in using separate laces for each vamp since the results in having four lace ends and two bows on each shoe. The latter patent overcomes this problem to some extent by providing a single continuous lace which extends between the upper and lower vamp sections and a clamp which is disposed between the upper and lower vamp sections for selectively adjusting the fit. This lacing arrangement overcame the aforementioned problem of having additional lace ends and bows but the single centralized clamp provided on each shoe is somewhat complicated and requires more manual dexterity to operate than is desirable in some cases.
The present lacing assembly overcomes the above problems in a manner not disclosed in the known cited art.